This invention relates to rearview mirror assemblies, and, more particularly, to a support for an independently adjustable rearview mirror for use in vehicles incorporating a display for information such as passenger air bag enable/disable status, as well as to rearview mirrors useful either with such supports or other supports and also incorporating vehicle information displays.
Conventional passenger and cargo vehicles typically provide information concerning operation of the vehicle as well as time, outside temperature and other ancillary electronic displays in the instrument panel directly in front of the vehicle operator. Clocks, radios, CD players and the like are often located in the panel next to the driver for more convenient viewing and use by the other passengers. Viewing of one or more of the displays or gauges in the panel requires shifting of the driver""s or passenger""s eyes down to the panel from the view through the front windshield. The shift or redirection of the line of the sight from the road to the vehicle interior also requires refocusing of the viewer""s eyes on the particular gauge or display. Such distraction can result in accident or injury, especially if the vehicle operator is presented with an emergency situation during such viewing. Also, a driver may not notice illumination of a critical warning display relating to occupant safety or vehicle operation (such as of disablement of a passenger air bag) when the display is located in the instrument panel due to the information clutter caused by the great number of other displays commonly found in the instrument panel.
Perhaps in recognition of these information display viewing problems, automobile and truck manufacturers have placed information in displays in consoles attached to the headliner of the vehicle above the front windshield. However, reference to the information in such consoles also requires a redirection of the viewer""s line of sight from the road toward the vehicle roof. Such redirection is even more pronounced in cab-forward automobile designs in which the head position of the vehicle operator is moved forward with respect to the windshield/headliner boundary such that the displays in the headliner mounted consoles are even more difficult to view.
Other types of information displays have been provided directly in, or attached to, the interior rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle. These include displays located within the mirror case but behind the mirror element which, of necessity, are limited in size so as not to interfere with the viewing area of the mirror itself. In others, an information display was mounted in the rim or edge of the rearview mirror case (such as in a bezel, lip or eyebrow portion) so as to avoid interference with the field of view of the mirror. However, the former type of through-the-reflective element display must be made integral with the reflective element in the mirror housing, and the latter type require that the mirror case is specifically designed for receipt of the display. The combined mirror and display in such constructions is also heavier than conventional mirrors resulting in increased vibration or oscillation and reduced quality images in the mirror surface. In addition, vehicle information display modules have been provided in housings removably attached to the rearview mirror support structure (such as in windshield button mounted units) such that with their displays are viewable by occupants of the vehicle.
Many of the above described information displays, and especially those provided in or attached to the interior rearview mirror of the vehicle, are primarily intended to provide information to the vehicle driver. In certain situations, however, it is important to provide information to the passenger or passengers in the vehicle and, particularly, the front seat passengers. An example is information concerning the operability of the Passenger Supplemental Inflatable Restraint (PSIR) system or air bag on the passenger side of the vehicle. Recent vehicle regulations allow control of the operation of a passenger side air bag system such that it may be switched off and disabled to prevent injuries when children are riding in the front passenger seat. It is important to allow the person in that front passenger seat to know whether the air bag system is operative or not. However, depending on the size of the passenger, and the seat position with respect to the position of the interior rearview mirror assembly, information displays primarily intended for reading by the vehicle driver may be difficult to see or read by smaller size passengers with the seat moved to its far forward position. Accordingly, there is also a need to provide information displays which are easily readable by front seat passengers regardless of the adjusted position of the interior rearview mirror assembly being used by the vehicle driver such that information important to that passenger can be provided.
In recognition of the above, the present invention was devised to provide for a vehicle rearview mirror support which would be substantially hidden from view by the vehicle occupants behind the rearview mirror housing but include an attachment to the vehicle and a connection allowing adjustment of the mirror position (such as a pivot) to accommodate various sizes of drivers, while having a display for information which avoids obstruction of the primary viewing zone of the vehicle operator through the front windshield but is visible adjacent, and preferably at the edge of, the rearview mirror housing. The support would require minimal vision shifting for conveying the displayed information to the vehicle operator while operating the vehicle, would alert vehicle occupants to critical and other vehicle pertinent information without confusion with other information displays, would provide improved vibration performance and clearer images in the rearview mirror itself, would house various vehicle accessories, and would meet governmental safety requirements for breakaway separation of objects in the vehicle cabin.
In addition, the present invention also provides for the positioning of information displays readable by vehicle occupants other than the vehicle driver, and especially front seat passengers of a smaller size when the front seat is positioned in its far forward position. Such displays provide important information for the vehicle occupants other than the driver and may be combined with the support of the present invention such that important information can be simultaneously provided to both the vehicle driver and remaining vehicle occupants including a front seat passenger.
The present invention provides a rearview mirror support assembly incorporating a mirror stay providing support, preferably a pivot support, for an independently adjustable rearview mirror, a mount for attachment to a windshield mounted button or header mounted base which releasably couples the assembly to the vehicle for breakaway release upon impact such as during an accident, and an information display assembly for vehicles wherein information is displayed by an information display element to the vehicle operator and other occupants at a location adjacent to the viewing position of the rearview mirror, and preferably, at a position above the rearview mirror.
In certain vehicles including cab-forward designs, the present support and display can be positioned lower and within the driver""s line of sight without obstructing the field of view. The information display is also distinct from other vehicle displays, such as on a header console.
Preferably, the information display is provided in a housing, more preferably a removable housing, which substantially conceals the electronics for the display element and the wiring for connecting the rearview mirror support and information display assembly to the vehicle electrical system while also providing electrical power to any electrically operated, added feature rearview mirrors which may be supported on the assembly.
In one form, the invention provides a rearview mirror support and information display assembly for vehicles including a mirror stay having a mount for mounting the stay within the interior of a vehicle and a mirror support for engaging and supporting a rearview mirror in viewing position for viewing by at least the driver of the vehicle. The assembly also includes an information display for displaying information visible to an occupant within the vehicle in which the assembly is mounted. The mirror stay and mirror support have portions concealed from view by the vehicle occupant by the rearview mirror when supported on the mirror support. The assembly projects from behind the rearview mirror such that said information display is positioned adjacent the rearview mirror when supported thereon such that said information display is viewable by the vehicle occupant.
Preferably, the information display element is an emitting display. In one embodiment, the information display element comprises a panel with differentially light transmitting and/or spectrally absorbing regions, the panel being backlit by a light source so that information is displayed by light transmission and/or spectral absorption at said region. The information is displayed as illuminated indicia such as illuminated tell tales, illuminated text, illuminated icons and the like by such panel and is preferably contrasted to the ambient light around the assembly. The light source is preferably concealed by a housing extending over a portion of the mirror stay, which housing may be releasably attached to allow for servicing. An electrical circuit connected to the light source may also be provided along with electrical wiring for connection to an electrically operated rearview mirror when supported on the mirror support and/or for connection to the electrical system of the vehicle in which the assembly is mounted. Preferably, the housing includes portions which conceal major segments of the electrical wiring from view by the vehicle occupants. In addition, it is preferred that a significant portion of the housing is concealed from view by the vehicle operator by the rearview mirror such that the housing extends outwardly from the mirror stay from a position behind and to the rear of the rearview mirror. Other preferred emitting information displays include vacuum fluorescent displays, electroluminescent displays, light emitting diode displays, cathode ray tube displays and the like.
In one form of the invention, the display element may include indicia thereon which are not visible until backlit by the light source. A preferred light source is a light emitting diode.
Non-emitting, passive display elements such as liquid crystal displays, including backlit liquid crystal displays, may also be used as well as other types of non-emitting displays. A variety of information display types may be formed such as multi-pixel displays, scrolling displays, reconfigurable displays and tell tales, all including varying types of wording, symbols, text or icons.
In another form of the invention, the electrical circuit includes a photo sensor which receives ambient light adjacent the assembly and controls the brightness of the light output from the light source in relation to the ambient light level adjacent to the information display or controls the intensity of an emitting display, such as of a vacuum fluorescent or LED digit, in proportion to the intensity of ambient light detected. Alternately, the light emitting intensity of the light emitting display can be slaved to the instrument panel lighting or controlled by a photo sensor in another part of the vehicle such as in an electro-optic rearview mirror, more preferably an automatic electrochromic mirror, twilight headlight sentinel or the like. Self-announcing, audible signals or strobes can also be used with the information display of the present invention.
Preferably, the present invention incorporates a support for adjustably supporting the rearview mirror adjacent to and, more preferably, below the information display and in viewing position for the vehicle operator. Alternately, the rearview mirror may be above the information display. In one form, such support is a ball pivot member extending outwardly from the mirror stay to allow adjustment of the mirror position independent from the information display. Other adjustable supports can also be used.
It is also preferred that the entire assembly including mirror stay, mirror support and information display, be releasably coupled to a mounting member on the vehicle such as a windshield mounted button or a header mounted base. The releasable coupling is adapted to release the entire assembly from the button or base when impacted such as during an accident to prevent injury. Various types of releasable couplings can be used such as spring clips and retainers, or resilient retaining flanges.
In other aspects of the invention, an rearview mirror assembly is provided which is useful either with the above-mentioned support assembly of the present invention as well as with other interior rearview mirror supports. The rearview mirror assembly has a rearview mirror and a support for mounting the assembly on a vehicle. The rearview mirror has a driver side end and a passenger side end. The driver side end is adapted to be closer to the position of the vehicle driver when the assembly is mounted in a vehicle on the support. The passenger side end is adapted to be closer to the position of a front seat passenger in the vehicle when the assembly is mounted in the vehicle on the support. The rearview mirror also includes a reflective mirror element which has a front surface lying in a mirror plane and faces the interior of the vehicle, and a housing for the mirror element, the housing being adjustably mounted to the support and including a back portion facing away from the vehicle interior, end portions, and a front portion facing the vehicle interior. The assembly also includes an information display which provides information to an occupant of the vehicle. The display has a display plane which is at an angle to the mirror plane to provide improved visibility of the display by a front seat passenger in the vehicle when the assembly is mounted on the vehicle.
In other aspects, the information display may project outwardly from the peripheral edge of the mirror housing toward the front seat passenger, or may be recessed within the mirror housing, either version being at a position above or below the reflective mirror element. The display may also be formed in the end of the mirror housing. Alternately, a display area may be provided within the field of the reflective mirror element itself and may be backlit with appropriate light sources such as light emitting diodes. In other forms, the rearview mirror assembly may include an information display within the field of the reflective mirror element, in addition to an information display in the peripheral edge or end of the mirror housing.
Advantages provided by this invention include adjustable support of a rearview mirror while providing information adjacent to the rearview mirror within the vehicle and visible by the vehicle operator and other vehicle occupants without obstructing the vehicle operator""s normal field of view and without requiring major shift in the vehicle operator""s line of sight to maintain adequate safety, the display preferably remaining fixed while the rearview mirror is adjusted about its pivot attachment to the support so that the driver can select the field of view for the reflective element housed within the rearview mirror independent of the viewing angle of the display attached to the mirror support and information support assembly. The combined mirror stay, support and information display is compact, light in weight and easily adaptable for attachment to the vehicle within the vehicle driver""s line of sight, either by a windshield mounted button or a header mounted base. The information display is provided in an unobtrusive but easily readable format immediately adjacent the rearview mirror and can be provided with various types of emitting displays, audible signals or the like or passive displays. The electrical circuitry for the display is, preferably, substantially concealed as is the electrical wiring for connection of the assembly to the vehicle electrical system while also optionally providing concealed wiring for operation of electrically operated rearview mirrors including electro-optic mirrors, lighted mirrors and the like. In addition, the present information display can be coordinated easily with the remaining instruments and displays within the vehicle for automatic or manual operation or with intensity coordinated to the ambient lighting around the display and rearview mirror or in relation to the lighting on the instrument panel. In addition, inclusion of the electronics within the housing attached to the mirror stay allows for easy removal for servicing and positions the weight of the circuitry separately from the rearview mirror, thereby reducing vibration and oscillation and increasing visual clarity of the images in the mirror.
Additional advantages include the provision of an information display on the rearview mirror assembly adapted for ease of viewing and reading by a front seat passenger. Alternately, information displays can be included in the field of the reflective mirror element or on the peripheral edge of the mirror housing for the rearview mirror assembly, either separately from or in conjunction with the information display provided on the mirror support of the present invention.
These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features of the invention will become more apparent from a study of the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings.